The Schoolhouse Theater Presents A Reading Of AN INQUIRY IN FLORENCE

Intrigue and espionage are set in motion as fact and fiction mix in the historical drama An Inquiry in Florence. Written by promising new playwright Barton Kunstler, the play will be presented in a dramatic reading on Sunday, February 5, at 3 pm at The Schoolhouse Theater.

Set in 1638, An Inquiry in Florence is based on an actual meeting in Florence between a young John Milton, the English poet best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost, and the aged and blind Galileo who had been placed under house arrest by the Inquisition. The meeting occurred during the Thirty Year's War, thought to have been the most vicious on the European continent in over a thousand years. The war was a direct result of the Reformation, a conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Central Europe, especially Germany. Both Galileo and Milton were brilliant and intensely religious men who crossed the leading authorities of the day and suffered for it.

Playwright Barton Kunstler is a professor of 25 years, primarily at Lesley University's School of Management, in Cambridge, MA. He has written for the Huffington Post and other political blogs, authored a book on creativ ity called The Hothouse Effect, and has written on foreign affairs, military and intelligence issues, education, creativity and ancient Greece. Barton has a doctorate in Classics and currently is working in the waste-to-energy field. As a social entrepreneur, he is helping ex-substance abusers and ex-offenders start their own businesses in Boston.

Asked why he chose this meeting as the topic of his first play, Barton said, "I've always loved Milton's poetry and have read a lot about Galileo, having taught his theories in a couple of courses. It struck me as fascinating that two of the 17th century's greatest thinkers had actually met."

The audience is invited to stay after the reading to take part in a Talk Back with Barton who promises to shed light on this evocative and highly charged moment in history.

The Schoolhouse is a unique setting for the arts in Westchester. Built in 1926, the brick building served as an active school until 1976. Galleries ex hibit many fine local artists, while the theater, where every seat feels like a front-row-seat, accommodates audiences of less than 100. Theatergoers enjoy the intimate quality of the space, as well as the all-Equity casts who bring theatrical excellence and experience from Broadway to Croton Falls.

Over the years, The New York Times has called The Schoolhouse Theater "Westchester's sole claim to consistent, professional theater, where people can see plays they are not likely to see elsewhere." The Schoolhouse is a regional Equity theater, dedicated to presenting professional theatrical performances by award-winning playwrights and to support and promote other art forms.

Tickets to the reading of In Inquiry in Florence are $10 and may be reserved by calling the box office at 914-277-8477. The Schoolhouse is located at 3 Owens Road, Croton Falls, NY, just off exit 8 on I-684. Visit the Schoolhouse on the web at www.schoolhousetheater.org.

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